The Farm Bill is the centerpiece federal legislation for food and farming, and it impacts access to nutritious food for the millions of American families struggling with hunger. Some of the priority issues in the bill include:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Formerly called food stamps, SNAP is a cornerstone federal program to help hardworking families during difficult times. Serving more than 43 million Americans, SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States. The Feeding America network helps connect eligible individuals with these vital resources through education and outreach activities.

Food Waste: Between 25-40% of the food grown, processed and transported in the U.S. goes to waste. Our national organization, Feeding America is working hard to try and capture that food and help connect it to the people who need it the most. In one year, Feeding America rescues 3.3 billion pounds of food that might have otherwise gone to waste and helps distribute it to Americans in need. There is an opportunity in the 2018 Farm Bill to adjust federal policies and funding to help enable additional food donations, allowing the Feeding America network to expand our food rescue work to efficiently feed even more people facing hunger.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP): The CSFP is a program for low-income seniors ages 60 and older. It provides nutritious food to help supplement their diet and it operates in all but two states. Second Harvest distributes 1200 boxes to seniors living below 130% of poverty throughout our region.

The Farm bill is reauthorized every four years, but the process often takes over a year. We need to help legislators understand the need so that they support a strong Farm Bill.